A New Christmas
by ThymeWaster
Summary: It's December at the Tower and things are unusually calm. What happens when Thyme discovers that the Titans don't celebrate Christmas? If FLUFF were a Genre, this would be it's definition.
1. No Christmas?

This is my first Christmas fic, I am actually quite pleased with it. I hope you all enjoy, please read and review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, or anything else for that matter...

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A New Christmas

December 16

"What do you mean you've never done Christmas before?!" Thyme exploded in Robin's face. "You guys are a family! Families do Christmas!" She had just heard from Robin about the Teen Titans Christmas traditions.

"He's right Ty. We usually just take the day off and sleep. No decorating, no presents. We like sleep." Beast Boy chimed in unenthusiastically.

"Which works for me." Raven sulked.

"Tell me, what is the point of this Christmas?" Starfire asked the deadly question.

"You mean you guys haven't even told her what it is?!" Ty stormed off from the dinner table to her room. At least, she stormed as best a four month pregnant teen can storm.


	2. Whether they want to or not

As I forgot to explain in the first chapter, this is kind of a mix of things. It's what I learn and get told every year at Christmas about things like lighting a tree, it's a story about Starfire discovering a new holiday, it's all about how family doesn't have to be blood related and it's one more thing that will be explained later.

I give out cookies to my two reviewers! I love you guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans... or Wal-Mart... or a Christmas Tree for that matter... or anything with a copywright.

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December 17

The next morning Ty came out of her room with a new resolution. She was going to have Christmas whether the Titans joined her or not. She took Starfire out with her to get a Christmas tree.

"Tell me friend Thyme, is this Christmas why everyone in the city places dead plants in their house and lights on their roofs, and they give each other boxes drowning in colored paper?"

"Yeah, pretty much." She walked past Starfire in the tree lot and up to a Frasier fir. "How much is this one?"

"Fifty normally; but you look like I could nock it down to forty." The salesman stood the tree up so she could look at it.

"We'll take it. Can you wrap it and cut it for me?"

When they got back to the tower she set it up and watered it. Then she went back out to find ornaments and lights. Cyborg went with her. He didn't want the others to know, but he had always been disappointed in their Christmas. He liked all the traditions.

"Couldn't you have just grown a Christmas tree outside and then cut it and brought it in?"

She wandered the isles in Wal-Mart and threw a few boxes of ornaments in the cart. "I'm bad with Christmas trees. I always end up covering them in snow, or there are a million pinecones, or several squirrels or some combination of the above."

"Tough break. Still, it's cool that you can even try." He picked a string of white lights off the shelf and moved on. She grabbed his arm and stopped him, throwing two more strings in the cart.

"You can never light a tree with one strand." She threw in some more ornaments. "It always takes at least two."

"Good to know." They kept walking and they found lots of cutesy ornaments and several boxes of traditional ones. They had stacks of bows and yards of garland. She had found a string of lights shaped like jungle animals that she thought Beast Boy would appreciate.

After buying and bagging they headed back to the tower. The T-Car was loaded with decorations and it was all they could do to get it home without losing them out the back end.

They got home in one piece and Ty immediately started decorating. Starfire hovered around her curiously and asked so many questions.

"Why do you hang toys from the tree?" "What is the purpose of the little lights?" "What do you plan on restraining with the decorative rope?"

By this last question she was of course speaking of the ribbons. "I'm going to hang them around the house. They are for decoration." Ty pulled a star shaped tree topper out of the bag of ornaments. "I can't reach the top, can you help?" Starfire just stood completely stupefied. She obviously had never seen a tree topper before.

The star was instantly enveloped in black energy and lifted to the top of the tree. Ty turned to see Raven behind her with her hands towards them. "Thought I'd help." She said and shrugged her shoulders; then returned to her books and ignoring them.


	3. Stringing lights

Well, ok, I'm an impatient soul. It's just that I have all of the chapters for this story writen and ready to go! I should probably wait a while before posting to give you readers a chance to review. Oh well, have fun.

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, or else Thyme would have actually been a character in the show, and Robin's lines would be way less cheesy. I also don't own the SAT test, I haven't even taken one.

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December 17 cont.

Later that evening Ty was decorating her room when Beast Boy came in. "Knock knock." He walked through the open door that now had a big red ribbon on it. She was standing on her bed trying to hang a string of colored Christmas lights above the head of it when he came in, and she began to wobble backwards.

"What are you doing?" He asked as she fell down in a heap. He went over and helped her sit back up.

"Stringing lights." She rubbed her ever-growing stomach and sighed. "But this one won't let me."

"Dude, you could get hurt. Let me do it." He took the lights and continued hanging them where she had left off. "You know, don't be fooled, I really do like Christmas. All the presents and the waking up on Christmas morning and ripping through the paper, it's a load of fun."

She smiled. It was three against three in the like/dislike war over Christmas. Starfire was on the dislike side because she didn't know anything about it.

"Do you think anyone would mind if I invited the Titans East over for Christmas?" She fiddled with the sleeve of her shirt. "The only time I have met them was kinda… odd."

"I'd say. Running from Speedy after he walked into the bathroom while you were taking a shower is definitely a welcome greeting." He finished the lights and sat down next to her. "I don't think anyone would care."

She grabbed him around the neck and kissed his cheek. "Wonderful! I'll go send an invitation!" And with that she popped out of the room and left BB on his own.

The next few days were spent decorating the tower. Ty found it easier than she had expected, due to Cyborg and Beast Boy helping her every time she turned around. Raven even seemed slightly interested, and was willing to help when no one was watching. Starfire followed Ty everywhere asking more questions than a SAT test.

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Eternity: Soooo... What happened to MY Christmas story?

It got postponed, I'll put it up next Christmas.

Eternity: But, it's so much better than this one!

Well, then, you be the writer and sludge out enough words to get it posted before Christmas.

Eternity: Fine, be that way. At least you are posting SOMETHING. storms off in a huff.

Sorry about that. She is upset because I have put all other stories on hold.


	4. Wraping Paper and Presents

Ah, Mondays. My free day in school, and a chance to post!

I know Raven should be the scrooge at the holidays, but in honor of my friend, I have made Robin the scrooge, since she hates him so much. (And because I can create a good reason for it, besides "It's just how he is") I promise, this story will make sense, eventually.

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, or Halmark. Wow, never thought those two would be in a sentence together...

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December 20

This day, (Dec. 20th) Ty was out shopping for Christmas presents. She had insisted on going alone, she didn't want anyone spying. Robin had in turn insisted that she carry a communicator with her.

After fighting the mobs at the mall and playing the pregnancy card several times, she finally made her way back to the tower. She had stopped by Hallmark to get several different kinds of wrapping paper; one for each Titan to use for his or her gifts to everyone. When she got back the others weren't home so she chose to leave the wrapping paper outside each Titan's bedroom door.

She left a green paper with Reindeer on it in front of Beast Boy's door, along with the animal lights she had bought him. Starfire got a pink paper with Disney princesses on it. She was sure that Star would ask her about it later, but she didn't care. Raven's paper was a black and blue zebra print. Cyborg got Blue with snowmen and Robin's was Red with Santa's on it.

She went into her room to wrap her presents in the gold wrapping paper that she had bought. When Starfire knocked on her door an hour later she wasn't surprised and was glad she had finished wrapping everything for Starfire.

"What is this tube of paper designed to accomplish?" She held the wrapping paper at arm's length towards Ty and pointed at it with relish.

"It's for wrapping presents. You wrap the gifts that you give to everyone in it." She pulled out a present for Raven that hadn't been wrapped yet and showed Starfire how to wrap them.

"But I do not have gifts for my friends. What am I supposed to wrap?"

"Well, you could go out and buy presents, or you could make something." Ty would regret that last statement.

"Really? I shall go and create something right now!" With that she waltzed out of the room and began making presents. She left the door open to any passer-by, Ty got up to close it and saw Raven walking down the hallway towards her.

"Raven, do you need anything?" She asked, quickly closing the door to hide the unwrapped presents.

"Yeah, I actually do. I was wondering what you think Robin might like for Christmas. He can be such a scrooge at the holidays." Raven blushed. The whole idea of her buying Christmas presents was slightly absurd.

"Well, I got him…" She switched to a whisper so no one could overhear her. "You could get him something to go with it. Or I'm sure he would like a video game. Maybe a new CD?"

"Thanks. I think I know what I'll get now."

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Eternity: This is... interesting. Ya know, I've met Thyme, she really does act like this.

Like what?

Eternity: The mother-y type. Always taking care of people and teaching them things. She has more patience than a turtle.

Thank you. I like to think of her as a representative of part of me.

Eternity: Then what am I?

A representative of part of me, gone horribly wrong...


	5. Arrival of Titans East

Oh what the heck I'll just get to the point. I don't own it and please review.

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December 23

Several days later Ty was becoming anxious. It was the day before Christmas Eve and the Titans East were due to arrive any time that day. She was hurrying around making sure that all the decorations were in place. Beast Boy had hung his animal lights over his bedroom door, and that hallway was beginning to look very festive.

Ty had to do a double take the day before when she had seen the frame of Raven's door covered in the zebra print wrapping paper. Raven explained later that it was all leftovers from after she had finished wrapping her presents, and she didn't want to be the only one in the hallway without something on their door.

When the Titans East arrived it was more than Ty had expected. They all brought gifts wrapped in their own paper for the others and each had a small piece of costuming on.

Speedy was wearing a Santa hat and he had gold wrapping paper with wreaths all over it. When he saw Ty he turned as red as his hat and looked away.

Mas and Menos had pointy ears and green elf caps on. Their presents were wrapped in Spanish newspapers. Ty found it very funny and was trying to decipher the papers as she helped them carry the presents to the tree.

Bumblebee was happy to see everyone; she had on a pair of Reindeer antlers and a red clown nose. She was carrying a stack of presents wrapped in yellow leopard print paper.

Aqualad was the only one without a costume of some kind and all his presents were wrapped in bags. He explained this by saying that they ran out of tape.

After everyone was settled and dinner had been eaten Thyme pulled her presents out of her room and put them under the tree. She then said goodnight. After a week of planning and decorating and shopping and wrapping, she was ready for some serious sleep.

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Ok, so not much plot development, or plot of any kind really. Just random dribbles.


	6. Robin and his Scroogeness

I appologize for the completely USELESS chapter that preludes this one. I am so so so so so so so sorry for that. grins maddly I will be good now and explain Robin's scroogy ness.

Disclaimer: Um... I don't own it? I don't even think I will inherit any of it someday. asks if her dad has a secret life writing shows for Cartoon Network Nope. I don't and will never own it.

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Christmas Eve

The next morning she woke up and went to the kitchen for breakfast. All she found there were some Lucky Charms and Speedy. "Good Morning." She said, avoiding his eyes and hoping that someone else would walk into the room.

Her wish was granted. Aqualad woke up. "What's for breakfast?"

"Anything you can find." She pointed at the kitchen. "Make yourself at home."

After breakfast, which changed dramatically once Cyborg and Beast Boy woke up, Ty made her way to Robin's room. She was worried about him and his disliking of Christmas.

His door was open when she got there, and he was at his desk writing something on his computer. "Can I come in?" She asked timidly from the doorway.

"Sure." He spun in his chair and watched her sit down on the edge of his bed. "What's up?"

"I wanted to know why you don't like Christmas. It seems like a really dumb thing to dislike." She pulled her feet up onto the bed and leaned back against his headboard.  
"I don't dislike the holiday. I just don't like the memories." His face turned solemn. "I always celebrated Christmas with my family. I can't do that anymore. It's a hard time for me."

"What did you guys used to do on Christmas?"

Robin sighed. The memories were hard for him. He was glad though that Ty respected him enough to ask instead of using her power to look into his past. "Mom always woke us up before the sun was up. She was always more excited than we were. On Christmas Eve she used to always ask if we could open all our presents then. We had to fight to keep her from opening them at midnight."

"She sounds like she was a fun person."

"Yeah. I really miss her. And Dad, he used to protest when we tried to wake him up. He would always pretend to be asleep or tell us that we needed to wait another hour."

"It sounds like you had fun Christmases. I'm sorry about your parents. You don't have to join us if you don't want to." She got up and walked out of the room, then turned and peeked her head back around the door frame. "But it would really mean a lot to me if you did."

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The guilt trips are fun!!!

And to QuietHermione: You thought Ty was emotional in the beginning, just wait till Christmas day!


	7. Great Mom

Ah for the love of sentimental fluff! Her you go. Have fun reading pure CHEEZE...

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Christmas Eve Cont.

"Ah, Christmas Eve. The apple cider, the lit tree, the presents, now all we need are some carolers." Cyborg was sitting on the couch that night with a cup of apple cider that Ty had made. He was surrounded by the Titans, both East and West, all except for Robin.

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly…" Bumblebee began singing. Soon Ty, Beast Boy (way off key) and the others had joined in. After "Deck the Halls" they performed "Jingle Bells", "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem", "Silent Night" and many more. It was late into the night before they were done. Ty finally got up and proclaimed it was time for everyone to go to sleep.

While she and Beast Boy walked down to their rooms she felt something strange. "Dude!" She leaned against the wall. After living with the Titans for two months she had picked up several phrases.

"What is it?" He came over to her and helped her to her room.

"I don't know. I think it was…" She felt it again and this time her hand went to her stomach.

"Are you ok?"

She giggled. "Yeah. It tickles. I think the baby is kicking." She gave a small jump and grabbed Beast Boy's hand. Her hand guided his to a spot on her belly and the reaction was imminent.

"Dude!" His eyes went wide.

"Now I know I definitely won't sleep tonight." The clock on her nightstand switched to 12:00. "What a Christmas gift!" She looked at Beast Boy, who was in complete awe, and then sent him to his room. "Just because I can't sleep doesn't mean you need to stay up."

After he had gone she wandered down to Robin's room. She tried as hard as she could not to laugh out loud each time the baby kicked, it was a war she was losing quickly. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this." She whispered.

She knocked on Robin's door, seeing a light coming from under it. "Come In" he called to the door.

She walked slowly into the room and saw him sitting at his desk as usual. "Can we open presents now? It's Christmas." She gave him a small smile and then tried to suppress a giggle as the baby kicked again.

"What's wrong?" He looked worried at the face she was making.

"Nothing. Really. I just got a Christmas present that I wasn't expecting, that's all. Can we open presents now?"

"No. What present?" He got up and walked over to her. She grabbed his hand gently and placed it on her stomach. The baby kicked again.

"That one."

His eyes widened just like Beast Boy's had. He looked at her and smiled back. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Giving me my Christmas. Coming in and asking to open presents like Mom used to. I never liked Christmas here because it was never the same."

"Just because it isn't the same as it used to be, doesn't mean you have to give it up all together."

He smiled for the first time that month. "You are going to make a good mom."

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Yes, I HAVE sunk to sentimental fluff. I wasn't kidding at the beginning. Oh well. I like fluff every now and then...


	8. Merry Christmas!

Ok, um... sentamental, fluff, cheese, and well... you'll see. Anyway, second to last chapter! WOHOO!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, The 49ers (I wish), Kermit the Frog, or anything else that you recognize.

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Christmas Day

At seven o'clock the next morning Mas and Menos decided to wake up Aqualad and Speedy, while Starfire and Thyme woke up Raven and Bumblebee. After those four were up they tag teamed Cyborg, Robin and Beast Boy, racing to see who could wake up their charge fastest.

Ty won. She walked into Robin's room and whispered in his ear. He jumped out of bed faster than you could say "Stocking Stuffers" and looked over at her.

"What?!"

"In five months to be exact. But the baby is coming." She grinned viciously.

All were awake, and a very large pile of presents was exploding out from under the tree. With ten presents per person it was quite the haul.

They took turns. Each pile was opened separately. Speedy's were first. All his gifts were opened by the others while he sat by and watched. So many thank you's were thrown at him that he couldn't reply to them fast enough.

Since the notice of Christmas was so short, they had all needed to be creative with their presents. Speedy gave Robin the instructions for making more aerodynamic birdarangs, and he bought Ty a bathrobe.

"Thanks a lot." She said sarcastically as she pulled it out. "I am never leaving the door unlocked again when I take a shower."

Bumblebee was next. She had bought most of her presents, CD's and DVD's. Raven's was a horror movie about a telepathic girl who goes to summer camp and becomes a homicidal maniac.

"Like that would ever happen." She said as she read the back.

Raven took the next turn and everyone was surprised that she even had things to give them. She gave Beast Boy a t-shirt that said "It's not easy being green." with a picture of Kermit the frog playing banjo on the back. He put it on immediately and thanked her profusely. She gave Robin a disposable camera and he gave her an interesting look. "Just wait." She told him.

Starfire got into the spirit of things and claimed the next turn. All of her presents were homemade. She hadn't had time to make anything big, so she had made little personalized coupon books for each of them. They had things like "Will make one Tameranian meal for you." Or "Will practice the martial arts for one whole hour with you." It was actually very creative. Ty wasn't sure when she would use the "Starfire will recite an epic poem of joy for you." But she was sure it wouldn't be soon.

Beast Boy went after Starfire. He had found a pair of pink fuzzy slippers for Starfire, and a tie-dye walkman for Ty. She got the joke after staring at it for a minute.

After Mas and Menos, and Aqualad, there was only Robin and Thyme left. Robin decided to go first, and he handed everyone their presents with great care.

Inside each wrapped box was a glass figurine of some kind. It was usually an animal, or something of significance to each person. Raven's was a raven. Speedy's was a bow and arrow. But Thyme's was the most sentimental.

"It's a house." She said with confusion as she pulled it out of the box.

"No, it's a home. To remind you that you always have a home here with us."

The idea was too touching for her. A lone tear slipped down her cheek. She put a hand to her stomach and, as if in response to her touch, the baby kicked. She giggled and sniffed. The others looked at her in surprise.

"The baby kicked." Everyone but Starfire was excited at this thought.

"He is trying to kill you from the inside?!" She squealed.

"No Star. It's natural. Baby's kick during pregnancy." Raven tried to explain the concept to her.

"I guess it's my turn." Ty said, composing herself and handing out all her presents. She had gotten Raven the first season of "Stargate: SG-1", Starfire got a book of knitting instructions, and a promise that Ty would teach her.

Bumblebee got a necklace with a bumblebee pendant. Speedy got a blindfold and a megaphone, with a sign taped to it that said "Announce your presence when entering a bathroom." Everyone laughed at this and Speedy turned a bright red.

Aqualad got a pair of dark blue sunglasses; they were waterproof and had a sport band so he could swim with them. Beast Boy was given a studded collar big enough to fit a Doberman. The note attached to it read "For my guard dog."

Mas and Menos got a pair of matching 49ers Baseball caps. They were both signed by Thyme and the Titans West, with room for other signatures. They each came with a red Sharpie. "So that you can have all your friends sign it."

Cyborg was given a cookbook. She had written notes all over the inside of it about each recipe. Last was Robin. His had been the hardest to get but she had found it. It was a scrapbook. In it there were pictures of everyone. Each Titan (including Titans East) had his own page. On her page was a picture of her in a forest green strapless dress and elbow length white gloves waving at the camera.

"It was me at the junior prom when I was fourteen. I got invited by my foster brother to go. It's the only picture I have of me looking semi normal." She flipped the page to reveal a section of pictures of his family and of Bruce Wayne. He didn't remember these pictures ever being taken.

"Where did you get these?"

"I went back with a camera and took a few candids." She pointed at a picture of his mom shaking him at five in the morning on Christmas. His hand looked like it was about to whop her one. "I particularly like this one."

After flipping through it for an hour, he discovered that most of the pictures were candid and had been gotten by time travel. He didn't know how to thank her for the memories she had given him. "Now I get it." He said, pulling out the disposable Raven had given him. He began taking random pictures of everyone.

"That will get old quick." Raven sighed and Ty laughed.

"Ahem." Beast Boy pointed at a small pile of presents under the tree. There seemed to be one from each official Titan.

"What are those?" Ty asked.

"There for you. Kinda." Beast Boy started bringing them over to her and he watched as she opened them in surprise.

The first was from Raven, it was a pale blue blanket with silky edging. It wasn't large enough for any teen or adult. Ty folded it gently and put it aside in confusion.

Beast Boy's was a small green stuffed dog. It was softer than anything she had felt before. Still confused, she put it with the blanket and reached for another one. As she reached the baby kicked again. Then she understood.

"Oh you guys! You are all so sweet!" She picked up the dog again and hugged it close.

The next present was from Speedy, it didn't seem appropriate for a baby, but she understood why he gave it to her. It was a miniature bow and arrows. Sized for about a five year old. "Maybe he could join the team some day."

Aqualad's was a stuffed dolphin, as soft as the dog. It was the same blue as his uniform.

Starfire gave her a yellow sheet set for a crib, it was so pretty that Ty laid it across her lap and stared at it for a few minutes before opening Cyborg's gift.

It was a state of the art baby monitor. He pointed out that he had programmed it into his sensors as well, so he would hear it to.

Mas and Menos gave her a gift card to Baby Gap. She was happy they hadn't tried to pick out clothes.

Bumblebee's gift was a homemade coupon for free babysitting. "As long as he's cute."

The final gift was Robin's. It was a miniature version of his mask. "Like Speedy said, maybe he could join the team."

With a surge of pure hormones, Ty hugged him and laughed through a fit of tears. None of the guys knew what to do with this, and none of the Titans knew whether she was happy or sad.

* * *

I also have no idea if a movie about a telekenetic girl who becomes a homocidal maniac actually exists or not. I made it up... I think...


	9. Wrapped up in a pretty ending

Ok yeah freakishly short, but I wanted to wrap this story up with something fluffy and cute.

YAY!!! Last chapter!!! I have FINALLY finished something!

Thank you all for your reviews and kind words. I give you all a copy of Starfire's Calendar.

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December 26

That night they had dinner and prepared for the Titans East to go home the next morning. They sang more Christmas carols, and sat around the tree in the holiday spirit.

That next morning came and as they watch the Titans East take off, Robin, Raven, Beast Boy, Thyme and Cyborg stood on the roof in the California sunshine and smiled.

Starfire came running up with her calendar and screaming at the top of her lungs. "WAIT!!!"

"What's up Star?" Robin and the others turned.

"The holidays are not over! We are to celebrate the packaging today!" She pointed at her calendar and the others looked very confused.

Raven suddenly got it. She sighed and said two words before flying off. "Boxing Day."

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Hehehe. Fun. I love you all and I hope you now go back and read "To Withstand the Test of Thyme" to understand why Thyme is pregnant and several other references. It's easier than me explaining it.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Eternity: Wohoo.

ThymeWaster


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